Review: Second Chance at Passion by Heather Lire

Audrey Rodriguez has escaped her family’s life styles of the rich and famous by moving to the small town of Holiday, Vermont. She settles into her new role as bookstore owner, never expecting to run into her Vegas hook-up.

Ethan Cartwright has been ordered to take a vacation, by his mom no less. The only people he can imagine spending down time with is his family in Holiday. While there he discovers that woman he’d had the best sex of his life was living in this story-brook town.

When Ethan’s family needs help taking down a gold-digging-sperm-stealing-nut-job Ethan and Audrey go undercover giving them more than a second chance at passion. (Goodreads).

Second Chance at Passion is a sweet heartfelt story that focuses on the strength of family. Each book in the series follows a couple who meet and fall in love only to find themselves facing a journey of the heart as circumstances force them apart. Romance and a external conflict often walk hand in hand as our protagonists struggle to learn to love and forgive; either each other or themselves. Engaging dialogue and a well plotted storyline makes for a fast smooth read that offers a nice balance of humor against the angst and drama that permeates the storyline.

Ethan Cartwright holds a lot of guilt in his life over his past playboy lifestyle and a tragedy that resulted from it. He honestly feels he doesn’t deserve to be happy relationship wise. Meeting Audrey Rodriguez turns his world upside down and thus begins his struggle between what he wants and what he feels he deserves. Though he tries to resist, when he finds her living and working in his hometown, he realizes it’s useless and gives in to everything he feels for her.

Audrey and Ethan were sweet together. Lire takes their instant attraction and uses that to build it into love. Their chemistry is apparent from their first meeting. Though it all starts as a Vegas fling, it becomes much more quickly. A little too quickly. I would have enjoyed watching them fall in love through a series of dates and some one on one time. Once they reconnect in Vermont, the family drama overwhelms the romance and they are rarely alone. Off scene lovemaking doesn’t detract from the romance. Some storylines need the full frontal sex scenes to make the connection while others are able to do so using more emotional and dialogue to convince us that this couple is not only compatible emotionally but also physically. It works in here.

Various other members of the Cartwright and Sanderson family are integrated into the story, each having conflicts of their own to deal with. Drama and sorrow add a poignant note to the story, giving a sense of reality and continuation to the story and series. At certain times in the story, the romance seems to get buried beneath Ethan’s issues and his family’s drama. Clues are given to Case’s novel and I am looking forward to seeing what exactly happened there. Audrey’s family is delightful and I liked Lire was able to bring them into the fold. I expect we shall see more of them in the future. I was hoping to get an update on Brynn’s relationship with her sister. If I have only one qualm about Lire’s stories is sometimes the sub plots don’t resolve fully and the reader is left wondering what happened.

Once again, I enjoyed my journey to back to Holiday, Vermont and I look forward to visiting again.